Process of producing printing surfaces



H. c. BOEDIICKER 1,945,676

I IIII I II I IIIII III III n I II IIIII II Q Q n III III II III A'TT NEY III I f Q Q 6 Feb. 6, 1934. H. c. BOEDICKER PROCESS OF PRODUCING PRINTING SURFACES Filed May 5, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTOR Y-f Feb. 6, 1934. iq BOEDlcKER 1,945,676

EROCESS OF PRODUCING PRINTING SURFACES Filed May 5, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENIOR.

ATTORN YJ' Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Herman C. Boedicker, New York, N. Y., assignor to Photo-Cylinder Corporation, a corporation of New York Application May 5, 1932. Serial No. 609,354

9 Claims.

The invention relates to the production -of printing surfaces, and is concerned more particularly with the formation on said printing surface of the groundwork which it is customary to employ, to bring about different color tints in the printed design, a groundwork of a certain texture or character in the printing surface or plate enabling the same to carry more ink than groundwork of a different texture, and thereby print 10 differentportions of the design in different tints in the same or different colors.

The formation of such groundwork as heretofore practiced, is a long, tedious, and expensive operation, more particularly where the rinting surface is made up of a multiplicity 0 design units, such as appear on the printing rollers or cylinders designed for textile printing.

The present invention aims to avoid these objectionable factors, and to so simplify the operation that it may be carried out speedily, accurately, and at little expense as compared with the iiznore complicated procedure heretofore resorted In the formation of this groundwork by the prior practice in connection with a textile design to be formed in intaglio, for instance on a printing roller, which will bear a composite design of a given design unit, and assuming by way of example, that the design unit consists of leaves and interposed berries as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings hereinafter referred to, the procedure would be as follows.

A photographic negative is made of the original sketch of the design unit, and this negative is projected onto a sensitized metal plate, the plate developed to give a positive of the sketch, and this positive outlined in pencil or otherwise marked in outline. This outline design is now engraved intaglio to give a full unit of the design on the metal plate, which is to be used as a guide or pattern for a pantograph machine in reproducing said design unit a multiplicity of times to make a composite design on the printing cylinder, usually of copper.

To receive such a multiplicity of the design units, the copper cylinder is coated with an acid resist varnish and the cylinder is placed-in the pantograph machine, and the operator by running the point of his pantograph in the engraved channel outlining the design on said metal plate or pattern, reproduces the said design unit a multiplicity of times on the varnished surface of the copper cylinder, the pantograph points cutting through the varnish, but not into the copper, and thereby producing in the varnish the composite design. The cylinder is now etched through the outlines of the leaves and berries, leaving the varnished background undisturbed; and this varnished background, and also those portions of the varnish over the unetched surface of the design are now removed, leaving the cylinder bare, but with the leaves and berries etched in outline. A new coat of varnish is now applied over the entire surface of the cylinder and covering the etched lines of the design; andthis varnish covered surface is milled throughout its extent by a suitable milling-machine, whereby the milling lines will extend across both the leaves and the berries, cutting through the varnish down to the surface of the cylinder. The background surface of the milled varnish coating and the berries are now painted out with an acid resist paint in order to prevent the etching fluid (to be subsequently applied) from acting in the milled line.

of these painted-out portions, thereby leaving only the leaves with the milled channels exposed. The cylinder is now etched deeply, the etching fluid eating only through the exposed milled lines of the leaves; and the varnish and paint being removed from the cylinder, the latter is ready for printing, and will reproduce imprints of leaves having a certain tint of color and with the berries in outline with no tint.

If however, it is desired that the berries in the final print have a ,color tint also and a tint different from that of the leaves, then the etched cylinder is again coated with an acid resist varnish, and the entire surface of the varnish again milled, but with a milling of a different texture from that of the first. Then the milled background and leaves are painted out with an acid resist paint to prevent the etching fluid from acting on the milled lines of the leaves, and leaving only the berries with the different milled lines exposed. The cylinder is now etched again deeply, the etching fluid this time eating through only the exposed lines of the berries, and giving thereon a groundwork of a different texture from that previously etched on the leaves. The varnish and paint are now removed, and the bare surface of 109 the cylinder will be exposed, leaving the leaves with a groundwork of milling of one texture and the berries with a groundwork of milling of a different texture, so that when the printing cylinder is inked and an impression made therefrom, the leaves will appear in one tint of the color and the berries in a diflerent tint. It will be understood that if the leaves are toappear in two different tints,'the same .procedure would be followed, except that only a portion of the leaves no would be painted-out in the first operation, and a third milling operation would be resorted to.

In contrast with this prior procedure, the present invention consists in its broader aspects in exposing photographically an image of the design in outline on a sensitized surface, and then exposing photographically on certain'sele'cted portions of the exposed design image (for instance on the leaves of the particular design hereinbefore referred to) and in register therewith, images of a screen configuration, and developing the double-exposed surface, so that the developed surface may be used to produce a printing surface either direct, or the developed design may be transferred to a receiving surface, such for instance as a copper printing roller, to be subsequently treated to produce a printing surface.

In the specification to follow, the invention will be described in detail, and the novel features thereof will be set forth in the appended claims.

The drawings show diagrammatically how the improved process is carried out in the production of a composite intaglio printing surface on a printing roller for textile printing, the said composite design being shown by way of example as consisting of a multiplicity of accurately positioned and matched design units of the character hereinbefore referred to, and comprising leaves and interposed berries, where certain of the leaves are to be printed in one color tint, other of the leaves in a different color tint, and the berries in still a different color tint. But it will be understood, as will hereinafter appear, that the invention is not to be limited to the production of this particular design, or for this particular purpose, but is applicable as well to the production of other designs for other kinds of printing where certain portions of the design are to appear in a color tint, and other portions either in outline, or in other color tints, either of the same or different colors.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 represents an ink outline drawing of the design unit;

Fig. 2 is a face view of a portion of a photographic negative of said design unit;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are views of photographic pos itives made from said negative, each of which positives has certain and respectively different portions of the design blocked or painted-out;

Fig. 6 is-a diagrammatic view showing the exposure of the negative of Fig. 2 on a sensitized surface or plate;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are similar views, showing the exposures of the blocked-out positives of Figs. 3,

4 and 5 respectively on saidsensitized surface, and showing in each case, a screen of a different texture from the others, interposed between the positives and the said sensitized surface;

Fig. 10 is a view of said sensitized surface developed and showing the different portions of the design with screen configurations of different textures;

11 is a view of a photographic positive of the composite design, consisting of a multiplicity of the design units produced by stepping-up on a sensitized plate, a photographic negative produced from the positive plate of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a view of a photographic negative of the composite design made by contact exposure on a sensitized metal plate of the "stepped-up" negative of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of a device which is employed in the projecting camera for holding in proper registered relations, the several photographic plates projected onto the sensitized surface of Figs. 6, '7, 8 and 9;

.Fig. 14 is a cross section through the same;

Figs. 15, 16 and 17 are fragmentary views of the different screens through which projections of the positives are made as in Figs. 7, 8, and 9.

Referring to the drawings:

In practicing the improved process in the formation, by way of example in setting forth the invention, of an intaglio printing roller bearing a composite design for a textile printing where the design for instance consists of leaves A and berries B, as shown in Fig. l, I proceed as follows.

A photographic negative is made of the original sketch or drawing of the design unit, and a silver print is made from this negative, and the leaves and berries of the design are outlined in water-proof ink, and bleed lines C are drawn around the margins of the leaves. This lined print is now bleached out, thereby leaving an outline drawing 1 in ink of the design unit, as shown in Fig. 1, and including the bleed lines C.

A photographic negative 2, such as shown in Fig. 2, is made from this outline drawing 1, and from this negative, through contact, photographic positives 3, 4 and 5 shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are made. Each of the three positives after being developed, is treated differently from the others to block-out certain portions of the design, which portions are to be distinguished in the impression or printing made from the completed printing cylinder, as to the different tint values. This blocking-out is done by painting the fim sides of the positives with an opaque water color as at D. For instance, the positive 3 has certain of the leaves and all of the berries blocked-out; positive 4 has all the other leaves andall of the berries blocked-out; and positive 5 has all of the leaves blocked-out, thereby leaving I only the berries.

A sensitized transparent plate 6 is fixed in position in a specially constructed projecting camera E in a suitable holding frame e, and is subjected to the exposure of the photographic negative 2, as shown in Fig. 6, which negative it will be remembered, bears the design unit in outline.

After exposure, this negative is removed from the machine and for it is substituted the positive 3, which is set in the machine in true registered position relative to the exposed plate 6, and this undeveloped exposed plate 6, still remaining in the camera, is subjected to the exposure of the positive 3, the exposure being made through a screen 7 of a given texture, as shown in Fig. 15, for instance, which is placedover the plate 6, as shown in Fig. 7. As a result the image of this screen will be imposed on those portions of the plate 6 corresponding to the unblocked portions of the positive 3, i. e., certain'of the leaves of the design.

The positive 3 and screen "I are now removed from the machine, and for the positive 3, is substituted positive 4, and for the screen '7 is substituted a screen 8 of a different texture from the screen 7, as shown for instance in Fig. 16; and the double-exposed undeveloped-plate 6 is subjected to the exposure of positive 4, as shown in Fig. 8, whereby the image of the screen 8 will be imposed on those portions of the plate 6' corresponding to the unblocked portions of the positive 4, viz., the other leaves of the design.

The positive 4 and the screen 8 are now removed from the machine, and for the positive 4,

positive 5 is substituted, and for the screen 8, a screen 9 is substituted of a diiferent texture from the other screens, as shown for instance in Fig. 9; and the triple-exposed plate 6 is subjected to the exposure of the positive 5, as shown in Fig. 9, whereby the image of the screen 9 will be imposed on those portions of the plate 6 corresponding to the unblocked portions of the positive 5, viz., the berries.

The quadruple-exposed plate 6 is now developed, thereby giving a positive of the design unit, with the different screen configurations on the different portions of the design where required, as shown in Fig. 10, where it will be seen that certain of the leaves of .the design have the image of the lined screen 8 to give it deep color tint in the final print, while the other leaves have the image of the checker or block screen 7 to give a lighter tint on the final print, and the berries have the image of the finer checker screen 9 to give on the print a still lighter tint.

A contact exposure of this positive plate 6 is now made on a transparent sensitized plate and the plate developed to produce a negative.

This negative is employed to produce a composite positive of the design unit, which may be effected by projecting the negative photographically successively throughout the entire surface of 'alarge transparent sensitized plate 11, which may conveniently be done in a specially constructed and well known stepping-up projecting camera, operating automatically to position the negative successively in difierent positions and expose the same in its different positions so as to accurately position and match up the exposed design units relative to each other. This plate on being developed will result in a stepped-up positive of the composite design, as shown in Fig. 11, where it will be seen that the composite design is made up of a multiplicity of the design units shown in Fig. 10, with the difierent screen configurations on the different portions of the design.

This positive 11 of the composite design is now placed in contact with a sensitized metal plate 11, and is photographically exposed, and the plate being developed, a metal p ate negative of the composite design is produced, as shown in Fig, 12.

The developed surface of this metal plate, with the composite design in negative thereon, is now treated by means well known in the art, as for instance by light etching and rolling-up, to give it printing qualities, and an impression of the same in ink is transferred to the copper printing cylinder, which may be done by placing the I printing plate in a press of well known construcetched deeply in a manner well known in the art,

thereby producing an intaglio printing surface ready to be used in a printing press.

In this printing surface, referring to the particular design illustrated by way of example to set forth the invention, the leaves will all be sur rounded by the bleed lines 0, whose function is to prevent the ink in the final print from spreading beyond the proper limits of the design; certain of the leaves will have a certain kind of screen configuration to produce a certain tint, the other leaves will have a different screen configuration to produce a differenttint, and the berries will have still another screen configuration to produce still another tint.

It is obvious that if the design is to appear on the printing roller as a positive, instead of a negative as above described, the negative design before etching will be treated a well known manner, as by the use of shellac, to reverse the same to a positive, which when etched, will give a cameo printing surface.

While in the foregoing description the invention has been described in connection with the production of an intaglio printing surface of a composite design on a printing roller for textile work, involving three different color tints, in which description the several steps of the process, beginning with the original sketch and ending with'the finished printing roller, has been set forth in specific detail, it will be understood that these steps may be variously changed and modified by those skilled in the art, and certain of the steps may be entirely omitted according to the character of the printing surface to be produced, the nature of the design, the requirements as to the different tints which are to appear in the final print, and other conditions, all without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Forinstance, the exposure of the negative and the blocked-out positives and interposed screens may be made on a sensitized metal plate, and the surface after developing treated by etching or otherwise, in a manner well known in the art, to give it printing qualities, and impressions may be made directly from this plate, instead of as set forth in the foregoing detailed description, transferring thedesign to a printing roller through the medium of a transfer drum; and it is within the scope of the invention that the stepping-up of the design image with a screen configuration or configurations may be omitted where it is not desired to produce a composite design in the final printing surface. And one or-more blocked-out positives and screens may be employed, depending upon the number of different color tints that are to appear in the final print, all of such variations and modifications in the practice of the invention depending upon the character of the work which is to be turned out; the invention in its broader and more comprehensive aspects residing in the photographic production of a screen image on an undeveloped sensitized surface which has been previously subjected to the exposure of a photographic plate bearing the design in outline, and in registered relation thereto, for the purpose of imposing on said design, a groundwork to control the color tint in the final printing, and for the purpose of insuring the imposition of this groundwork at the desired point or points in the design.

As indicated in the drawings, the outline inked drawing of Fig. 1 is provided with indicating registering lines 1 at its four sides, and the negative 2 of this print is likewise furnished with similar indicating marks 2 adapted to register with corresponding marks in the projecting camera in which the plate is exposed; and similarly, the blocked-out positives 3, 4 and 5 are furnished with indicating marks 3, 4 and 5 associated with the other indicating marks and with the indicating marks on, the projecting camera, whereby the position of the negative and blocked-out positives 3, 4 and 5in' the camera in proper registereclrelation to each other and to the sensitized plate 6 which is subjected to the successive exposures of these plates, is assured. By this means it is possible to impose the several screen images on the particular portions of the design exposed on the plate 6, accurately in the desired portions thereof.

As a means for insuring the proper positioning of the photographic plates in the camera to be projected onto the sensitized surface 6, I prefer to employ the plate holding device shown in enlarged detail in Figs. 13 and 14, and also in reduced scale in Figs. 6 to 9. On reference to Figs. 13 and 14, it will be seen that there is removably supported on a base 12, a metal plate 13, formed in its center with a rectangular opening 14, which, when the plate is supported by the base, is accurately filled by a rectangular plate 15 mounted on the base. is designed to give support to the photographic plate as indicated, which may be the negative 2, or the blocked-out positives 3, 4 and 5; and the photographic plate is held firmly on the plate 13 by spring clamping fingers 16, which are pivoted at their outer ends to the plate 13, so that they may be swung outwardly free of the photographic plate to permit the application or removal of the same, or may be swung inwardly to bear upon the photographic plate and clamp the same down on the plate 13 as shown.

The plate 13, as well as the filler plate-15, is provided with centering and guiding marks 17 which intersect each other at right angles at the center of the plate 15, and holes 18 are formed in the plate 13 at opposite ends of the same, coincident with one of said intersecting lines, for the purpose presently to be described.

In the use of the device in positioning the negative 2 and the positives 3, 4 and 5 in the projecting camera, the negative 2 is first placed in position on the plate 13, as shown in Fig. 13, with the four indicating marks 2 on said negative in register with the intersecting lines 17 on plate 13, and

the negative is clamped in such position by the clamping fingers 16. The plate 13, carrying the negative, is now removed from its base 12 and set in position in the projecting camera, which is provided as shown in Fig. 6, with registering pins 19 adapted to enter the holes 18 in the plate 13. The image of the negative will therefore be exposed on the sensitized surface 6 in a predetermined definite position relative thereto. When the exposure has been made, the plate 13 with the negative is removed from the camera, and the negative is removed from the plate, and the latter is replaced cn the base 12 in the same position formerly occupied by it, which is determined by the engagement of the filler plate 15 in the rectangular opening in the plate 13, and also by the engagement of upwardly projecting pins 15 on the filler plate in the said holes 18 in the plate 13.

The positive 3 is now properly centered on the plate 13 by matching up the indicating marks 3 thereon w'th the marks 17 on the plate 13, and

the positive being clamped in this position, the plate 13, with the clamped positive, is removed from the base 12 and transferred to the projecting camera, and seated over the registering pins 19 as before, whereby the image of the positive will be exposed on the sensitive surface in the same registered relation thereto as was the image of the negative; and this procedure is repeated as to the other positives 4 and 5, with the result that all of the exposures of the positives are made in the same exact and accurate registered rela- The plate 13 tions to the design projected onto the sensitive surface 6.

While in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings the invention has been set forth, in respect to the different steps of the method of procedure in the specific detailed manner which has been found in practice to answer to a satisfactory degree the ends to be attained, it is to be understood that these steps may be variously changed and modified, and certain of them omitted, as hereinbefore referred to, without departing from the limits of the invention: and further, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited in respect to the said steps of procedure, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In the process of producing printing surfaces subjecting a sensitized surface to the exposure of a developed photographic plate hearing the design in outline, subjecting the exposed sensitized surface to a second exposure of a developed photographic plate held in registered relation to the sensitized surface, and bearing the outlined design with certain portions of the same blocked-out, while interposing a screen between the sensitized surface' and the second photographic plate, whereby an image of the screen will be imposed on those portions of the sensitized surface corresponding to the unblocked portions of the second photographic plate, and developing the exposed sensitized surface so that it may be used to produce a printing surface.

2. In the process of producing printing sur- 1 faces, subjecting a sensitized plate to the exposure of a photographic negative of the design in outline, subjecting the exposed plate to a second exposure of a photographic positive of the outlined design held in registered relation to the exposed sensitized plate, in which positive certain portions of the design are blocked-out, while 3. In the process of producing printing surfaces, subjecting a sensitized plate to the exposure of a photographic negative of the design in outline, placing a screen over the exposed plate, subjecting the exposed screened plate to a second exposure of a photographic positive of the outlined design held in registered relation to the sensitized plate, in which positive certain portions of the design are blocked-out, whereby an image of the screen will be imposed on those portions of the sensitized plate corresponding to the unblocked portions of the positive, and developing the exposed plate, so that it may be'used to produce a printing surface.

4. In the process of producing printing surfaces, subjecting a sensitized plate to the exposure of a photographic negative of the design in outline, subjecting the exposed plate to a second exposure of a photographic positive of the outlined design having certain portions of the design blocked-out, while interposing between the exposed sensitized surface and the photographic" positive, a screen of a given configuration, subjecting the sensitized double-exposed plate'to a third exposure of a second photographic positive of the outlined design having different portions of the design blocked-out from those blockedout in the first positive, while removing the first screen and interposing between the double-exposed plate and the second photographic positive, a screen having a difierent configuration from that of the first, and developing the exposed plate so that it can be used to produce a printing surface.

5. In the process of producing printing surfaces, subjecting a sensitized plate to the exposure of a photographic negative of the design in outline, subjecting the exposed plate successively to exposures of different photographic positives of the outlined design placed in register respectively with the exposed plate, and each positive having portions of the design blockedout diflerent from those of the, others, said exposures being made respectively through screens of difierent configurations, and developing the successively exposed plate so that it may be used to produce a printing surface.

6. In the ,process of producingprinting surfaces, making a photographic negative of the design to be printed, making a silver print from such negative, outlining the design on the print in water-proof ink, bleaching out the silver print to produce a key drawing in ink of the design in outline, making a photographic negative of the key drawing, making a contact photographic positive from the last named negative, blockingout certain portions of said positive, subjecting a photographic sensitive plate to an exposure of the photographic negative of the key drawing, subjecting the said sensitized plate to a second exposure of said blocked-out positive held in registered relation to the exposed plate, while interposing a screen between the sensitized exposed plate and the blocked-out positive, whereby an image of the screen will be imposed on those portions of the sensitized plate corresponding to the unblocked portions of the positive, and developa photographic sensitive plate to an exposure of the photographic negative of the key drawing, subjecting the said sensitized plate to a second exposure of said blocked-out positive held in registered relation to the exposed plate, while interposing a screen between the sensitized exposed plate and the blocked-out positive, whereby an image of the screen will be imposed on those portions of the sensitized plate corresponding to the unblocked portions of the positive, producing from said developed double-exposed plate a negative printing plate with the design repeated thereon to form a composite negative printing plate, reproducing said composite design on a -metal printing roller in negative, and etching said roller to form a negative intaglio printing surface of the composite design.

8. In the process of producing printing surfaces, exposing photographically on a sensitized surface, an image of the design in outline, with a bleed line surrounding the image, exposing photographically on certain selected portions of the exposed design image, and in register therewith, images of a screen configuration, so disposed with reference to the design that they will terminate at the design outline, and developing the exposed sensitized surface so that it may be used to produce a printing surface.

9. In the process of producing printing surfaces, making a photographic negative of the design to be printed, making a silver print from such negative, outlining the design on the print in waterproof ink, bleaching out the silver print to produce a key drawing in 'ink of the design in outline, making a photographic negative of the key drawing, making a plurality of photographic positives from the last named negative, blocking out different portions of said positives, subjecting a photographic sensitive plate to an exposure of the photographic negative of the key drawing, subjecting the said sensitized plate to successive exposures of said blocked-out positives held.

in registered relation to the exposed plate, while interposing screens of different texture between the sensitized plate and the blocked-out positives during the successive exposures, whereby the portions of the plate corresponding to the respective unblocked portions of the various positives will have imposed thereon screen images of different textures, and developing the exposed sensitized plate so that it may be used to produce a printing surface.

HERMAN Q'BOEDICKER. 

